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Topic: Another Buffet Question. (Read 7917 times)

When we were at the recent family gathering, the hotel offered a lovely breakfast buffet. It was well-presented and tongs or spoons were available for each item.

However, it didn't stay that way. We saw people who used the same tongs for the french toast and the bacon. Some even took the tongs back to their tables so that their parties wouldn't have to wait when they wanted seconds. That meant others had to either wait for new implements to be brought or do their own double dipping.

The staff was good about keeping things in order but they just couldn't quite keep up.

Short of staitioning staff to do the serving, is there any way to prevent this sort of thing?

Well I don't think this would work to stop a lot of messeruppers, but if you see one person by you trying to use the same tongs, I'd probably say "Oh! Here's the tongs for the bacon. I think those are only meant to be used for one dish each to prevent mixing the food," and point out where the correct utensils are.

I've seen people absent-mindedly use tongs for more than one item; it doesn't bug me too much because I eat everything and I'm always hoping people won't use their fingers. I can see where that would be troublesome if you were a vegetarian or dealing with strongly flavoured food transferring from one dish to the other.

HOWEVER, taking the tongs?!?! That's a new one for me, and beyond selfish! There should be a staff person stationed at the buffet to check on the food and stop people from walking away with the tongs. I'd try a quick smile and "Whoops, you forgot to put the tongs back" if I saw someone taking them. Maybe they will have to chain them down like bank pens? I'm all squicked out now--at the thought of tongs laying on tables and then dipping back into the buffet pans.

I have never seen anyone take tongs back to their own table. I can't imagine that this is a common problem. I would chalk it up to one rude family and just inform the staff so that they can bring replacements but I don't think this happens often enough to worry about it.

I have seen people use the same pair of tongs for different foods. I just think they aren't thinking through things like allergies. I don't think any amount of policing would completely prevent this, so I assume people with severe allergies would avoid buffets.

I try to be very conscientious about things like this due to my and my sister's food allergies. If I'm getting a shared salad for us at the grocery store salad bar, I'll avoid anything that's between the mushrooms and the front of the bar, and probably the things on either side too. People aren't very careful.

That being said, I've never actually seen anyone use the tongs for more than one thing, unless it was two or more trays of the same type of food. I can see how it would be okay to share tongs between those. But taking them back to the table? Wow, no.

I don't know what you'd be able to do in that situation, aside from staring in a very shocked manner, but I would desperately try to avoid buffet-style gatherings with that family in the future, unless there was someone on the other side of the buffet still serving the food. I've seen that before and it tends to work pretty well at some places.

But you don't work for the resort, correct? So why are you asking how to prevent it? That's where my confusion lies. If its a problem, all you can do is report to the resort. edited to explain further:

When we were at the recent family gathering, the hotel offered a lovely breakfast buffet. It was well-presented and tongs or spoons were available for each item.

However, it didn't stay that way. We saw people who used the same tongs for the french toast and the bacon. Some even took the tongs back to their tables so that their parties wouldn't have to wait when they wanted seconds. That meant others had to either wait for new implements to be brought or do their own double dipping.

The staff was good about keeping things in order but they just couldn't quite keep up.

Short of staitioning staff to do the serving, is there any way to prevent this sort of thing?

The first part of your post explained your involvement and observations at the buffet. When read in combination with your question, it is as if you are asking for ways *you* can prevent this. Which led to my question as to why this is your responsibility. In re-reading your post, your question sort of sounds like you are asking on behalf of management which again confuses me b/c I believe you aren't employed there and l end up back at my original question. If this a hypothetical question, then your question is not clear that it is presented as a hypo, given the personal experience and observations you initially listed. No matter, I come back to the same answer: you report it. I guess you could call them out on it, politely. Probably shouldn't tackle them and grab the tongs.

The last time I stayed in a hotel, a few years ago in Buffalo NY, they had a breakfast buffet. We went down for it and it took all of 5 minutes for me to be disgusted by people's behaviors. Allowing little kids to work the make your own waffle iron (sign said adults needed to supervise kids but was ignored), where they had no idea what to do so they blocked it and made giant messes, people grabbing 5 or 6 boxes of cereal at once so when I went to get some for my DD I had to wait for a very harried employee to get more, someone put the sausage in the eggs..this was not a cheap hotel and the people did not look like uncivilized heathens..but we ended up leaving (we did tell the nice lady at the front desk they should have employees policing the area a bit better..they seemed to hide in the back) and going to McDonalds. There really is nothing to do besides complain to the hotel (or stand on a table and scream "were you all raised in a barn??)

But you don't work for the resort, correct? So why are you asking how to prevent it? That's where my confusion lies. If its a problem, all you can do is report to the resort. edited to explain further:

When we were at the recent family gathering, the hotel offered a lovely breakfast buffet. It was well-presented and tongs or spoons were available for each item.

However, it didn't stay that way. We saw people who used the same tongs for the french toast and the bacon. Some even took the tongs back to their tables so that their parties wouldn't have to wait when they wanted seconds. That meant others had to either wait for new implements to be brought or do their own double dipping.

The staff was good about keeping things in order but they just couldn't quite keep up.

Short of staitioning staff to do the serving, is there any way to prevent this sort of thing?

The first part of your post explained your involvement and observations at the buffet. When read in combination with your question, it is as if you are asking for ways *you* can prevent this. Which led to my question as to why this is your responsibility. In re-reading your post, your question sort of sounds like you are asking on behalf of management which again confuses me b/c I believe you aren't employed there and l end up back at my original question. If this a hypothetical question, then your question is not clear that it is presented as a hypo, given the personal experience and observations you initially listed. No matter, I come back to the same answer: you report it. I guess you could call them out on it, politely. Probably shouldn't tackle them and grab the tongs.

Sometimes people ask because they want to know out of curiousity, not just because they can do something.

Having kids comes in handy - you explain to them why you don't mix up instruments. Especially if you can say "Loren make sure you put the tongs back where you got them. You don't want to mix X with Y, because you could make someone like Cameron who can't eat X sick. I find that a bit PA for my taste.

I tend to be more direct. Woops Here are the tongs for X. Hand them to the adult. YOu don't want to cross contaminate the food and make someone sick. Smile.

Be the squeeky wheel - Manager those people keep cross contaminating food by moving the tongs around and taking them back to their table (I've only seen kids do this always a eekk I messed up moment.). Please fix the problem (by which I mean remove contaminated food AND educate patrons). If I report the same unhealthy behavior a 2nd time - I would expect the manager to escort the offenders out. If they don't health department would get a call. But honestly I've rarely have to get a manager and have never had to complain a 2nd time. I think $5 words like cross contaminate get the manager's attention. They figure you are going to be worse to deal with than the offenders, so they do something about the offenders.

Depends, someone who is at risk of an allergic reaction is going to be more aware of cross contamination than the average person.

I've ended up at a hotel with a broken waffle iron because of misuse - I really would have preferred a more substantial breakfast that morning.....eight hour drive ahead of me before I got to my destination!